[TEST SUBJECT NAME HERE], your uniform issue is ready.

Hey everybody! Rather than dwell on how long it's been since I wrote, why don't I just show you what I've been up to. San Diego Comic Con is coming soon, and I've had a few costumes in the works. Since it's fresh in my mind, I wanted to share the Aperture Laboratories Test Subject project I've been putting together.

These are my coverall and Aperture tank. I bring them up because this is my first time working with spray-on fabric paints, and personally I found them harrowing.

The coverall is a Red Kap brand snap-front work coverall in size 40R. It's heavy and brightly-colored, and I love how sturdy it feels. The Aperture iron-on patch is from the marmota2 shop on Etsy.

The tank is a Hanes mens' a-shirt, and it's painted with Simply Spray "Black." The tanks are the stretchy kind, so to get them to paint properly I have stretched them over a standard queen-size pillow covered with a plastic trash liner.

I painted all my stuff with stencils cut from cardstock. I just loaded the card in my printer and found the logos on Google Images, then they were cut with a razor cutter.

I've learned that when making the stencils, it pays to be as patient and steady as possible. They take time, especially around the small, precise cuts.

Both of my paints are available at Michael's. The Simply Spray is pressurized, while the Tulip is pump-action. Although it made more of a "painty" look, I really preferred working with the Tulip brand. The Simply Spray goes on like a dye, but the spray angle is very wide and my first attempt got a lot of overspray. The spray nozzle gets gummy between uses, so start spraying on anything other than the project, then move to the project, and still be prepared for unexpected results. I had a hard time getting a bold, even layer without going too far (as you can see on the shirt in the upper part of the photo.) I cannot stress enough covering up everything that you don't want to paint; this stuff gets all over. 

The Tulip laid on thicker and stiffer, but the pump action was easier to regulate; this really is a case of less being more in the end. Still cover up everything you don't want painted. You cannot go too far in this aspect.

I can't say I'm 100% satisfied with the results, but they do look cool, if imperfect. The paints can both bleed through your fabric, so be sure to back the other side with paper or something that will stop seepage. All this stuff is pretty cheap, and it's easy to use at home. I was pretty happy to get all this stuff customized without having to send anything to a screenprinting shop.

Oh yeah, and my Portal gun is the Neca version. Sometimes I need a little store-bought help.

What I'm Playing:

• Main Campaign: Spelunky
• Side Quest: Rock Band 3, Spell Tower